This invention relates to video game controllers and in particular to video game controllers having a modular interface system which allows the game player to operate the video game controller with a variety of different video gaming platforms having different physical and electrical connectivity requirements.
In the home-based video game industry, there exist two basic types of gaming platforms--the dedicated video game console and the general purpose personal computer (PC). A dedicated video game console is a specific computer-based device that executes only video game software that is typically resident on a memory chip mounted within an insertable plastic cartridge or on a CD-ROM. The images and sounds generated by the game are output to a television for display to the user in a manner well known in the art. Various manufacturers make and sell dedicated game consoles that have proprietary, rather than industry-standard, interfaces and protocols that are not interchangeable with each other. For example, NINTENDO.TM., SEGA.TM., and SONY.TM. each market game consoles that have different standards and interfaces that are not electrically or physically compatible with each other. The PC gaming platform allows a video game to execute as an application program, wherein the images are displayed on the monitor and sounds are played through a sound card and speakers. In both types of platforms, the user is provided with an input/output device called a video game controller to interact with the game program and cause certain events to occur. The video game controller may be a keyboard, steering wheel, foot pedals, joystick, trackball or simulated light gun which is connected to a standard game port located on an interface board in the PC (or to another port such as the keyboard port, a serial port or a parallel port) or directly to an input port of the game console for dedicated console applications. The user maintains control over the video program via signals sent between the video game controller and the personal computer or console which are derived in response to the selection or setting of a variety of switches, buttons, dials, and triggers located on the video game controller.
Many of the video game controllers of the prior art have limited functionality in that they are designed and manufactured to interface with only a single type of gaming platform; that is, either the PC platform or one of the many dedicated game console platforms. Thus, once the user has purchased a particular video game controller he can only use it with the platform that it is configured (both electrically and physically) to operate with. If the gaming platform becomes obsolete, then the video game controller is undesirably rendered useless since it cannot be used with other gaming platforms due to the different electrical and physical interfaces.
Naturally, if the user so desires he may purchase more than one video game controller to accommodate these various platforms; however, as complexity of such devices increases, so does their cost. This tends to make it prohibitively expensive for the majority of users to own more than one video game controller. Another factor which mitigates against the purchase of more than one video game controller is that once the typical user has achieved some level of familiarity and proficiency with one particular video game controller, it is unlikely that he will be enthusiastic about doing the same for another video game controller.
Therefore, it would be advantageous if the video game controller could be readily and easily adapted for use with a variety of different gaming platforms in a cost effective manner. It would also be advantageous for the video game controller to be upgradeable in order to be used with future gaming platforms that have not yet been designed.